Karen Barnett: The Road to Paradise

By Kelly Bridgewater

An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true–that’s what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God’s gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainer National Park. It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow.

But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.

When Margie’s former fiancé sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park’s pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?

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My Thoughts:

I enjoy reading historical romance novels. Especially novels that take place during the twentieth century. Historical novels allow me to experience the past even though I'm living in the twenty-first century. With Karen Barnett's newest novel, The Road to Paradise, is a great historical novel that sheds some light on the national parks. With a historical novel, I expect to be interacted with the time period and the circumstances affect the lives of the character and the plot to be interesting enough to carry me through.

Barnett's writing is clear and concise. While she had the characters of Margie and Ford Brayden wander through the Mount Rainer National Park, I felt like I was right alongside them as they explored this untamed wilderness. She brought the wild into my imagination, allowing me to explore with the characters.

As for the characters of Margie and Ford, I really enjoyed spending time with them. Margie is a strong heroine who wants to explore the wilderness, which is totally out of character for that time period. While Margie has went against her parents' wishes, I admire her on how she stands up for what she believes in. She really doesn't care what others think. She wants to protect the wilderness, and nothing will stop her. As for Ford, he is the character who really transforms in this novel. He changes from someone who doesn't really believe in God to a character who surrenders his life to God. Ford admires Margie and learns a lot about his home from her joy in the smallest plant.

The plot captured me from the first chapter and kept my attention. I enjoyed how I this story was original. I don't know of any other story that takes place in the historical national park. I know of a couple of suspense novels that have murders happen in national parks, but nothing that takes place around this time period. I enjoy the twist with Philip and Margie's past coming back into the forefront of the novel.

Overall, The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett is a gripping story with a unique setting and lovable characters. I enjoyed spending time with them, and I can't wait to see the next two installments in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett from Waterbrook / Multnomah Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars